Perkin Reveller: Alfresco Ales

As London’s autumn weather makes you want to sit outside in the sun and watch the leaves fall, a trip to the Perkin Reveller makes for a perfect day date. The light-filled terrace is the ultimate destination here, so navigate to one of the restaurant’s custom crafted tables as close to the Thames as possible and get ready to bask in the season with your sweetie. Dwarfed by the Tower Bridge and abutting the ragged walls of the Tower of London, the outdoor seating almost upstages the food. Almost is the operative word, however – not just any restaurant gets two AA Rosettes within their first six months of opening – with traditional British cuisine adapted to each season’s freshest produce.

Start off with some tea and scones to share, served on a wood plank that adds some rustic charm to the operation, or opt for one of the local British brews. Don’t hesitate to ask for guidance in ordering the most British of British items. Your date may not have the same passion for the exotic – smoked eel and braised oxtail are still gaining gustatory traction – but a Chateaubriand accompanied with a savory gratin is perfect to split for just about any couple. Linger as long as you like as you share the origin of the restaurant’s unique name with your date. Here’s the short version: the Perkin Reveller comes from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. In “The Cook’s Tale,” he appears as an apprentice chef whose love of life is so strong that he routinely abandons his post to “dance and sing and make such fun” with any festive group that happens by. Spend enough time here and you might just do the same.